The August Symphony Presents “Symphonic Dances” Free Concert in Westfield on July 26

The August Symphony Orchestra (TASO) presents “Symphonic Dances,” a free summer concert on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Westfield. Conducted by Michael Avagliano, the concert showcases a program celebrating the ways composers across eras have transformed dance into vivid orchestral storytelling.

The afternoon features four iconic works that illuminate dance as a universal musical language, elegant, dramatic, hypnotic, and electrifying. Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1 reimagines Renaissance lute dances with shimmering 20th-century orchestral color, while Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite offers a sweeping, emotionally charged distillation of one of ballet’s most beloved scores. The program continues with Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances fromWest Side Story, a kinetic fusion of jazz, Latin rhythms, and Broadway drama, and culminates in Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, a hypnotic crescendo built on a single, unforgettable rhythm.

“Dance can be both a window into history and a force of modern expression,” said conductor Michael Avagliano. “From Respighi’s Renaissance elegance to Bernstein’s explosive urban energy, each work in this program reveals a different facet of how movement inspires musical imagination.”

The concert is free and open to the public. It will be performed on Sunday, July 26 at 2:00 pm.at the First United Methodist Church, located at One East Broad Street in Westfield, N.J. The venue is an accessible, air-conditioned facility with ample parking.

The program is made possible in part by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and supported by donations from lovers of music and the arts.

About The August Symphony Orchestra

The August Symphony Orchestra (TASO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enrich the Garden State community by offering an accessible way for classical orchestral music to be performed, listened to, and appreciated by all. TASO is committed to maintaining a high standard of quality and performance while fostering a spirit of community and a shared love of classical music. The orchestra welcomes and appreciates generous support from the public as well as from local companies, financial institutions, and New Jersey state grant foundations. Learn more at www.tasonj.org and follow The August Symphony Orchestra on Facebook for concert news and updates.